Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
81Performance64.4
60Display69.8
47.3Camera83.6
62.1Battery92
94.7Features86.7
3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S2613 spec wins — Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
InnoReviews verdict
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 77.1 to 67.7, pulling ahead mainly in camera (+36) and battery (+30). Samsung Galaxy S26 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Stronger performance score: 81 vs 64
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 87
- 29% lower weight: 167 g vs 235 g
- 14% lower thickness: 7.2 mm vs 8.4 mm
- Has eSIM — the other doesn't
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
- Stronger display score: 70 vs 60
- Stronger camera score: 84 vs 47
- Stronger battery score: 92 vs 62
- 1900% higher telephoto: 200 MP vs 10 MP
- 317% higher ultra-wide: 50 MP vs 12 MP
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.3 ″ | 6.9 ″+10% |
| Panel type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080x2340 | 1208x2624 |
| Pixel density | 411 ppi | 418 ppi+2% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 2,600 nits | 4,000 nits+54% |
| Screen-to-body | 90 % | 91.6 %+2% |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2600 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the US, China and Japan) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 |
| AnTuTu | 3,064,672 | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,995Top 14% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 10,824Top 4% | — |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 256GB/512GB | 256/512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 4.0 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP | 200 MP+300% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Telephoto | 10 MP | 200 MP+1900% |
| Optical zoom | 3 x | 3.2 x+7% |
| Max video | 8K@30fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,300 mAh | 8,500 mAh+98% |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 100 W+300% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 50 W+233% |
| Active use endurance | 15.3 h | — |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 167 g+29% | 235 g |
| Thickness | 7.2 mm+14% | 8.4 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP66/IP68/IP69 |
| Frame material | Armor Aluminum 2 | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 6.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | No |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) | Android 17 (HyperOS 4) |
| OS update pledge | 7 years | — |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |